<p class="reg-lead">The International Basketball Federation's Official Basketball Rules, in force from 1 October 2026.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>1 October 2026</b> — approved by the FIBA Central Board</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>108 pages — the "Basketball Rules" part of the two-part publication of the Official Rules</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong></td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What are the Official Basketball Rules?</h2>
<p>The Official Basketball Rules (OBR) are approved by the FIBA Central Board and published in two separate documents: <strong>Basketball Rules</strong> and <strong>Basketball Equipment</strong>. A new edition normally comes into force on <strong>1 October</strong> each year. Before approval, the Rules Advisory Group (RAG) — composed of basketball and officiating experts — reviews all proposals and presents them to the Technical Commission.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Key changes in this edition</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Restructuring of the foul system</b>The most significant structural change: <strong>the unsportsmanlike foul has given way to two new categories</strong> — Article 37, the <strong>Disruptive Foul</strong>, and Article 38, the <strong>Flagrant Foul</strong>. Article 39 remains the disqualifying foul. Between the personal foul and disqualification there are now two steps rather than one.</li>
<li><b class="t">Definition of the disruptive foul</b>A disruptive foul is illegal contact that does not rise to the level of a flagrant foul but <strong>disrupts the flow of the game</strong> and places the opponent at a disadvantage: unnecessary contact by a defender who is making no legitimate attempt to play the ball and seeks to stop the attacking team's progress on a fast break, or to stop the game clock and shot clock at the end of a quarter or overtime, or contact from behind or from the side against a player advancing towards the opponents' basket with no defender between that player and the basket.</li>
<li><b class="t">Two classes of technical foul</b>Article 36 divides technical fouls into <strong>Class 1 and Class 2</strong>. <strong>Only a Class 1 technical foul leads to ejection from the game</strong>; Class 2 does not count towards ejection. Class 1 covers conduct such as disrespectful contact with referees and officials, using provocative language or gestures towards spectators, and baiting or taunting an opponent.</li>
<li><b class="t">Redefinition of the "act of shooting"</b>Article 15 defines more precisely where the <strong>act of shooting</strong> begins and ends, and sets out separate definitions for the jump shot, the drive to the basket and other moving shots. The stated reason is explicit: players are increasingly manipulating the situation to draw a shooting foul. In addition, <strong>a shot from a team's own half of the court is disregarded</strong>, except at the end of a quarter or overtime or at the end of the shot clock.</li>
<li><b class="t">Second dribble</b>Article 24 clarifies that after a player's first dribble has ended, the player may dribble again only if they have lost control of the live ball — through a shot, through an opponent touching the ball, or when the ball touches another player on a pass or a fumble.</li>
<li><b class="t">Colour of the court lines</b>Article 2.5: the colour of the boundary lines and court markings may vary to make <strong>event branding</strong> possible — provided that all boundary lines are the same colour and each pair of markings on the two halves of the court match. The centre line and centre circle may be a different colour.</li>
<li><b class="t">Apparel</b>Article 4.3: the requirement that <strong>socks be visible</strong> has been removed. Long-sleeved shirts are not permitted, sleeves must end above the elbow, the shirt must be tucked into the shorts and the shorts must end above the knee; the socks of all team members must be of the same dominant colour.</li>
<li><b class="t">Commissioner and technical delegate</b>Article 1.1: wherever the rule book refers to the "commissioner", this also includes the <strong>technical delegate</strong>.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>In any challenge to a referee's decision, the text of the rules is the starting point. The restructuring of the foul system has a direct practical effect: conduct previously classed as "unsportsmanlike" must now fall into one of the two categories of disruptive or flagrant foul, and the distinction between Class 1 and Class 2 technical fouls determines whether a player is ejected from the game. The <strong>Official Interpretations (OBRI)</strong>, which show how these rules are applied, are published separately.</p>
</div>

FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2026

<p class="reg-lead">The mechanism for the selection of beach handball referees and technical officials of the International Handball Federation, published in July 2026.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>Published</td><td><b>July 2026</b> — International Handball Federation</td></tr>
<tr><td>Implementing body</td><td>Refereeing Section of the Beach Handball Working Group (BHWG)</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong></td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Why does beach handball have a separate mechanism?</h2>
<p>Beach handball is a dynamic discipline with technical, tactical and regulatory characteristics of its own. Referees are therefore expected not only to have an excellent command of the <strong>Beach Handball Rules of the Game</strong>, but to apply them with confidence, precision, teamwork and game understanding in a fast-paced environment. Unlike indoor handball, where responsibility lies with the Playing Rules and Referees Commission, training, evaluation and nomination in this discipline rest with the <strong>Refereeing Section of the Beach Handball Working Group</strong>.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Core elements of the mechanism</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Combination of criteria</b>The nomination process combines objective performance evaluation with long-term development through structured training and continuous monitoring, as well as <strong>geographical and gender representation</strong>.</li>
<li><b class="t">Stated objective</b>To appoint the most qualified, most experienced and best-prepared referees and technical delegates for beach handball competitions, while supporting the sustainable global development of the discipline.</li>
<li><b class="t">A different authority</b>The Beach Handball Working Group is the same body to which the Statutes of 21 March 2026 grant the power to approve the trial implementation of rules in this discipline; responsibility for refereeing is likewise concentrated there.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-note">This document bears no adoption date; the date given is the time of its publication on the website of the International Handball Federation.</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>For referees and federations active in beach handball, the competent body is the Beach Handball Working Group, not the Playing Rules and Referees Commission — a distinction that must be observed in correspondence and applications.</p>
</div>

IHF Selection of Technical Officials and Referees — Beach Handball

<p class="reg-lead">The International Handball Federation's mechanism for selecting indoor handball referees and technical officials, published in July 2026.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>Published</td><td><b>July 2026</b> — International Handball Federation</td></tr>
<tr><td>Implementing body</td><td>Playing Rules and Referees Commission (PRC)</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current version</strong> — supplements Chapters XI and XII</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What does this document clarify?</h2>
<p>The IHF seeks to appoint the most qualified and best-prepared referees and technical delegates to its events. This document shows how the nomination process brings together <strong>performance assessment, structured training, continuous monitoring, and geographical and gender representation</strong>. Responsibility for development, assessment and nomination rests with the Playing Rules and Referees Commission.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Requirements and pathway</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Prerequisites for referees</b>A referee pair must hold <strong>continental referee rank</strong>, and as a general rule <strong>at least two years' experience at continental level</strong> is required. The maximum age for obtaining IHF referee rank is <strong>40</strong>, and candidates are expected to have several years of high-level refereeing experience. Successful completion of the Global Referee Training Programme (GRTP) or an Official Refereeing Assessment (ORA) is mandatory.</li>
<li><b class="t">Prerequisites for technical delegates</b>Technical delegates must hold continental rank and <strong>officiate actively in the top league of their country</strong>. For former IHF elite referees and former international players, a <strong>fast-track pathway</strong> is provided where their experience and competence justify it.</li>
<li><b class="t">Global talent-scouting network</b>The IHF has established a worldwide network of refereeing experts who continuously observe pairs holding continental rank in domestic and continental competitions. Promising pairs enter a <strong>long-term talent database</strong>, administered by the Playing Rules and Referees Commission, and their performance is assessed over several seasons.</li>
<li><b class="t">Recruitment philosophy</b>The criterion is <strong>long-term capacity, not performance at a single point in time</strong>; continuous observation allows the Commission to support a referee throughout their development.</li>
<li><b class="t">Development projects</b>The IHF Trophy gives referees holding continental or national rank the opportunity to officiate international matches between emerging national teams under experienced Commission lecturers.</li>
<li><b class="t">Priority for women and young referees</b>The document emphasises building sustainable pathways for talented young referees and <strong>increasing the share of women</strong> among referees and technical delegates.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-note">The document bears no adoption date of its own; the date given is the time of its publication on the International Handball Federation's website.</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>For national federations, this document gives a clear picture of the path by which a referee pair reaches international level, and shows why investment must begin several seasons before a referee approaches the age limit of 40. The Regulations for International and Continental Referees and the Regulations for Official Refereeing Courses set the binding framework for that same path.</p>
</div>

IHF Selection of Technical Officials and Referees — Indoor Handball

<p class="reg-lead">The International Handball Federation's Rules of the Game for Wheelchair Handball Four-a-Side, in force from 1 July 2026.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>1 July 2026</b> — adopted by the IHF Council</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>Chapter IX, Section d of the body of regulations of the International Handball Federation</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current version</strong> — a self-contained set of 13 rules</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>How does four-a-side differ from six-a-side?</h2>
<p>The regulations of the International Handball Federation (IHF) form a set of numbered chapters, headed by the Statutes, with each chapter governing one area. This document is <strong>Chapter IX, Section d</strong> of that body.</p><p>Unlike the six-a-side format, which consists of modifications to the rules of indoor handball, the four-a-side format <strong>has its own self-contained set of rules</strong>: thirteen rules running from the definition of the game and the team to the court, the goal, the ball, playing attire, straps and violations, together with the wheelchair specifications and a section of clarifications.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Structure of these rules</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Dedicated rules on the court and the goal</b>Rules 6 and 7 set out the dimensions of the court and the goal separately, because they are not identical to those of indoor handball.</li>
<li><b class="t">Straps as a stand-alone rule</b>Rule 11 is devoted to <strong>the straps securing the player to the wheelchair</strong> — a subject with no equivalent in the other formats.</li>
<li><b class="t">Equipment and attire</b>Rules 9 and 10 govern playing equipment and attire separately from one another.</li>
<li><b class="t">Wheelchair specifications and clarifications</b>The second and third parts of the document are devoted to the technical specifications of the wheelchair and to supplementary clarifications of the rules.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>The four-a-side format has its own classification mechanism, which is set out in the Wheelchair Handball classification rules — shared between the six-a-side and four-a-side formats.</p>
</div>

IHF Rules of the Game — Wheelchair Handball Four-a-Side 2026

<p class="reg-lead">The International Handball Federation's Rules of the Game for Wheelchair Handball Six-a-Side, in force from 1 July 2026.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>1 July 2026</b> — adopted by the IHF Council</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>Chapter IX, Section C of the International Handball Federation's body of regulations</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong> — supplements the indoor handball Rules of the Game</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>How do these rules relate to indoor handball?</h2>
<p>The regulations of the International Handball Federation (IHF) form a set of numbered chapters, headed by the Statutes, with each chapter governing one area. This document is <strong>Chapter IX, Section C</strong> of that body of regulations.</p><p>The document states that the rules of wheelchair handball six-a-side <strong>follow the indoor handball rules in principle</strong>, with only the modifications made necessary by the differing abilities of the players added to them. It must therefore be read alongside the indoor handball rules, not in their place.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Key points</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Team composition</b>Each team plays with <strong>six players, including one goalkeeper</strong>.</li>
<li><b class="t">Mixed teams and the women's quota</b>Matches are played with mixed teams, and no special rule has been laid down for this; however, <strong>at least three female players</strong> must be present in the team.</li>
<li><b class="t">Delegation size</b>The delegation comprises a maximum of <strong>20 persons</strong>, with a floor of 12 and a ceiling of 16 players.</li>
<li><b class="t">Wheelchair specifications</b>Article 2 of the document specifically sets out the technical specifications of the wheelchair.</li>
<li><b class="t">Basis of the discipline</b>The text defines wheelchair handball on the basis of the spirit of fair play and for players with physical disabilities.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>For organisers and wheelchair handball teams, this document is read alongside the guidelines for staging world wheelchair handball competitions and the classification rules — three documents that together form the complete framework of the discipline.</p>
</div>

IHF Rules of the Game — Wheelchair Handball Six-a-Side 2026

<p class="reg-lead">The International Handball Federation Rules of the Game — Beach Handball, in force from 1 April 2026.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>1 April 2026</b> — adopted by the IHF Council</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>Chapter IX(b) of the International Handball Federation body of regulations</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong> — the free-standing rules of beach handball</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Why does beach handball have separate rules?</h2>
<p>The regulations of the International Handball Federation (IHF) form a set of numbered chapters, headed by the Statutes, with each chapter governing one area. This document is <strong>Chapter IX(b)</strong> of that body of regulations.</p><p>Beach handball is a discipline with a different scoring logic and game structure, and it does not follow the rules of indoor handball. The IHF Regulations for Competitions were likewise confined to indoor handball in the edition of 21 August 2024, and beach competitions were moved to their own regulations.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Structural differences from indoor handball</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">A 6-metre throw instead of a 7-metre throw</b>In beach handball the penalty throw is taken from a distance of <strong>6 metres</strong>.</li>
<li><b class="t">Referee throw</b>Play is started and restarted with a <strong>referee throw</strong> (Rule 10), not a throw-off.</li>
<li><b class="t">Deciding the result</b>Rule 9 covers not only the scoring of goals but also <strong>how the winner of the game is determined</strong> — a mechanism that sits elsewhere in indoor handball.</li>
<li><b class="t">Team time-out within the text of the rules</b>Rule 2 governs playing time, the final signal, time-out and <strong>team time-out</strong> in one place.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>For federations and clubs active in beach handball, this document is the free-standing reference, and reliance on the indoor handball rules has no place in this discipline. The authority of the Beach Handball Working Group to approve the trial application of rules is also expressly stated in the Statutes of 21 March 2026.</p>
</div>

IHF Rules of the Game — Beach Handball 2026

<p class="reg-lead">Current edition, in force from 25 November 2025; for the first time it imposes an annual cap on the releasing federation, moves the application window to 1 October–20 December, and requires the international federation to decide within ninety days.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force from</td><td><b>25 November 2025</b></td></tr>
<tr><td>Publication</td><td>United World Wrestling — November 2025 edition</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>10 articles together with a definitions section</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong> — governing applications submitted from 25 November 2025</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What are the Change of Nationality Regulations in wrestling?</h2>
<p>The United World Wrestling (UWW) Change of Nationality Regulations determine which country a wrestler represents in international competition and the conditions under which that affiliation may be changed. The governing criterion is the athlete's international licence, issued by the international federation; that licence identifies the country the wrestler represents. Any wrestler who has once competed representing a country in events on the international federation's calendar must go through this procedure in order to compete for another country — and that change is possible only once during a sporting career and does not permit a return to the previous affiliation.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>About the November 2025 edition<span class="reg-tag">Changes from June 2019</span></h2>
<h3>Key changes from the previous edition</h3>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Annual cap for the releasing federation</b>The newest and most significant restriction in this edition. Until now only the host federation was subject to a cap; now <strong>each releasing federation may consent to a maximum of three changes of nationality for men and three for women per year</strong>, across all styles and all age categories. The text states expressly that this decision lies <strong>entirely within the discretion of the releasing federation</strong>, that the international federation plays no part in it, and that a refusal by the releasing federation provides no basis for any claim against the international federation.</li>
<li><b class="t">The host federation's cap, now split by gender</b>The host federation may accept <strong>one foreign wrestler of each gender per year</strong>; previously the cap was one person per year without distinction by gender.</li>
<li><b class="t">Application window: 1 October to 20 December</b>The application submission window, previously <strong>1 to 31 December</strong>, has changed to <strong>1 October to 20 December</strong> — that is, it opens earlier and closes earlier. The licence, as before, takes effect from 1 January of the following year.</li>
<li><b class="t">Ninety-day deadline for the international federation</b>For the first time the international federation is required to determine an application <strong>within ninety days of receiving a complete file</strong>. A file is considered complete once all necessary documents have reached the federation's office.</li>
<li><b class="t">New and defined terminology</b>The text has acquired a definitions section: <strong>Host federation</strong>, <strong>Releasing federation</strong>, <strong>national wrestler</strong> and <strong>naturalised wrestler</strong>. The expression "sporting nationality" has also been simplified to "nationality" throughout the text.</li>
<li><b class="t">A separate route for veterans</b>A lighter procedure is provided for the veterans category: an application is accepted <strong>at any time of year</strong> and at least <strong>45 days before the Veterans Championships</strong>, only the host federation's application and the releasing federation's consent are required, and <strong>the three-year rule does not apply to veterans</strong>.</li>
<li><b class="t">Flexibility for youth categories</b>The three-year waiting period may still be reduced or waived by agreement of the two federations and a decision of the Executive Board; in addition, for <strong>wrestlers aged fifteen at the time of the application</strong>, or those whose only record of participation with the releasing federation was in the under-fifteen category, that decision is taken by a simpler route.</li>
<li><b class="t">Olympic competitions referred to the Olympic Charter</b>The detailed, step-by-step section on Olympic qualification rules added in the 2019 edition has been removed and replaced by a short reference: <strong>at the Olympic Games and their qualifying competitions, the rules of the Olympic Charter govern</strong>.</li>
<li><b class="t">Training compensation</b>The releasing federation may claim <strong>training compensation</strong> and an administrative fee on the basis of a scale set out in these regulations.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>This is one of the most frequently applied wrestling regulations in sports law practice: any case concerning a wrestler who intends to compete for another country — whether a foreign athlete seeking to wrestle for Iran or an Iranian wrestler intending to move abroad in sporting terms — is assessed against this text. Three points are decisive in practice: the application deadlines, the three-year waiting period and the possibility of reducing it, and the releasing federation's discretion to consent or refuse. For national federations, the annual caps on accepting and releasing athletes are likewise set out in this document. Each case is governed by the edition in force at the time the application was submitted.</p>
</div>

UWW Change of Nationality Regulations November 2025

<p class="reg-lead">The International Handball Federation's Rules of the Game for Indoor Handball, in force from 1 July 2025.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>1 July 2025</b> — approved by the IHF Council</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>Chapter IX, Section A of the International Handball Federation's body of regulations</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current edition</strong> — 18 rules together with interpretative annexes</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What do the Rules of the Game cover?</h2>
<p>The regulations of the International Handball Federation (IHF) form a set of numbered chapters headed by the Statutes, each chapter governing one area. This document is <strong>Chapter IX, Section A</strong> of that body.</p><p>Eighteen rules determine everything from the dimensions of the court and the playing time to fouls, sanctions and the duties of the referees, the scorekeeper and the timekeeper. As the document itself states, <strong>the text of the rules, the comments, the referees' hand signals, the supplementary explanations and the substitution area regulations are all part of the rules</strong>; the "Guidelines and Interpretations" guide the application of certain rules, and the "Guide for court and goals" is provided for the user's convenience only and is not part of the rules.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Key points of this edition</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">Structure of the document</b>Rules 1 to 18, followed by five parts: comments on the Rules of the Game, the substitution area regulations, the Guidelines and Interpretations, and the guide for court and goals. The referees' hand signals also appear in this same document.</li>
<li><b class="t">Restructuring under way</b>The document itself states that the Rules of the Game are <strong>being reorganised into three separate documents</strong>; the present structure is therefore provisional.</li>
<li><b class="t">Language of the document and equality</b>The text uses the masculine form for simplicity, but states expressly that the rules apply equally to women and men — with one exception: <strong>the size of the ball</strong>, which is set out separately in Rule 3.</li>
<li><b class="t">Connection with other regulations</b>The technical specifications for the ball, the goals and the flooring are found in Chapter XIII, and permitted protective equipment in its own separate regulations; video review and the electronic time-out also have independent regulations.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>In any protest or disciplinary case arising from an on-court incident, the first question is what the Rules of the Game provide and whether the referee acted within the scope of their authority. Because the comments and the substitution area regulations are themselves part of the rules, reliance on them carries the same authority as the principal text.</p>
</div>

IHF Rules of the Game — Indoor Handball 2025

<p class="reg-lead">The Official Basketball Rules Interpretations (OBRI) of the International Basketball Federation, in force from 1 October 2024.</p>
<table class="reg-facts">
<tr><td>In force</td><td><b>1 October 2024</b> — October 2024 version, 1.0a</td></tr>
<tr><td>Structure</td><td>142 pages</td></tr>
<tr><td>Status</td><td><strong>Current published version</strong> — the interpretations corresponding to the 2026 Rules will be published in September 2026</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>What are the Official Basketball Rules Interpretations?</h2>
<p>The text of the Official Basketball Rules is short and leaves many practical questions open. The Official Basketball Rules Interpretations (OBRI) use <strong>specific examples</strong> to show how each rule applies in real situations — which is why they run longer than the rule book itself.</p>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec hi">
<h2>Key points</h2>
<ol class="reg-tl">
<li><b class="t">A binding supplement, not optional commentary</b>The Official Basketball Rules Interpretations are the guide to applying the rules and referees are trained on their basis; in reviewing whether a referee's decision was correct, this document is the measure applied.</li>
<li><b class="t">Publication cycle</b>FIBA publishes three documents in a single cycle: the text of the rules and equipment in July, the summary of changes before that, and the <strong>Official Basketball Rules Interpretations in September</strong> — that is, immediately before they come into force on 1 October.</li>
<li><b class="t">This version relates to the 2024 Rules</b>The available version is the set of interpretations corresponding to the 2024 Rules. The interpretations corresponding to the 2026 Rules — including those on the disruptive foul and the flagrant foul, which are new in 2026 — will replace it once published.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="reg-sec">
<h2>Who this document matters to</h2>
<p>In any dispute that turns on a referee's judgment, the question is whether the decision accords with the official interpretation. For coaches and referees it is also the principal training reference.</p>
</div>

Notes related to the tag of